Council Meetings from 1829

COUNCIL
Tuesday, Oct. 20

A bill providing for the publication, in a pamphlet form, a series of essays on "the present crisis of the American Indians," was received from the Committee, and agreed to by the house.
The resolution of the Committee requiring the Clerks of the several courts to be bound under the sanction of an oath, etc., was received and agreed to.

Wednesday, Oct. 21

On motion of J.R. Daniel of Hickory Log District, a bill, making provision for suspending the circuit Judge, when connected to either of the parties of affinity or consanguinity, and the evidence which would have been given, if no such objection had been made, to be allowed to appear before the Supreme Court, and providing for the election of any necessary substitutes when constitutional objections are made to any or all the Judges of the Supreme Court, was read. After a tedious discussion, it was, on motion of Mr. Reece of Chickamauga, laid on the table for further consideration.
On motion of the Bark of Chatooga, the house resumed the consideration of the last bill laid on the table. The bill, after some discussion, was adopted.
A resolution, providing for any vacancy that might occur, by the removal, death, resignation or inability of the Principal Chief, was received from the Committee, and was adopted without a dissenting vote.

Thursday, Oct. 22.

A bill, appointing Edward Graves to take the journals of the Legislative Council and cause the same to be published in the Cherokee language, was passed, and agreed to by Committee.
A bill making regulations for issuing permits to citizens of this nation, to bring into the country citizens of the United States, was received and read. The house agreed to the bill.

Friday, Oct. 23.

The House commenced agreeably to adjournment.
A resolution was adopted, appointing the editor of the Cherokee Phoenix to publish in the Cherokee language, in a pamphlet form, the laws of this nation, translated by Messrs. Brown and Lowrey, and to translate all the laws not translated up to the last acts of the session.
The Committee having come down, the Legislative Council in Committee of the whole, proceeded to the election of a district Judge of Hightower. Wahlanedah, Feather, and Greenwood were nominated.
First ballot. Second ballot.
Wahlanedah 20 25
Feather 9 0
Greenwood 11 15

Saturday Oct. 24th

On motion of Choonnagkee of Chickamauga District, an old law, making death the penalty for selling any lands in treaty, without the authority of the nation, was committed to writing. The bill was adopted.
Womankiller, of Hickory Log District, who is probably more than eighty years of age, rose and spoke substantially as follows in reference to the bill:

My Children,

Permit me to call you so as I am an old man, and has lived a long time, watching the well being of this Nation. I love your lives, and wish our people to increase on the land of our fathers. The bill before you is to punish wicked men, who may arise to cede away our country contrary to the consent of the Council. It is a good law -- it will not kill the innocent but the guilty. I feel the importance of the subject, and am glad the law has been suggested. My companions, men or renown, in Council, who now sleep in the dust, spoke the same language, and I now stand on the verge of the grave to bear witness to their love of country. My sun of existence is fast approaching to its sitting, and my aged bones will soon be laid under ground, and I wish them laid in the bosom of this earth we have received from our fathers who had it from the Great Being above. When I shall sleep in forgetfulness, I hope my bones will not be deserted by you. I do not speak this in fear of any of you, as the evidence of your attachment to the country is proved by the bill now before your consideration, I am indeed told, that the Government of the U. States will spoil their treaties with us and sink our National Council under their fee. It may be so, but it shall not be without our consent, or by the misconduct of our people. We hold them by the golden chain of friendship; made when our friendship was worth a price, and if they act the tyrant and kill us for our lands, we shall, in a state of unoffending innocence, sleep with the thousands of our departed people. My feeble limbs will not allow me to stand longer. I can say no more, but, before I sit, allow me to tell you that I am in favor of the bill.

Monday, Oct. 26.

A petition of Samuel Gunter, A. Campbell and G.W. Gunter, praying for the privilege of cutting out a road from M. M'Intosh's, across the Raccoon Mountain Choctaw Killer's, etc., on to the Tennessee River, with a right to establish a ferry near where Thos. Hanison took a reservation, was received, read and agreed to.
A bill from the committee, making Arkansas emigrants as soon as they enroll, not citizens of the nation, and providing means for preventing citizens to sell their improvements to emigrants with penalties and authorizing the Principal Chief and the Executive Council to issue orders to arrest any intruders they think proper, to be delivered to the United States' Agent for prosecution, was read and laid on the table.
The bill, on motion, was taken up for consideration, read a second time and adopted.
The bill passed by the Council on Saturday, concerning the selling of lands, in treaty, without the consent or authority of the nation was returned by the Committee with amendments. The Council agreed to the amendments.